Customer Reviews

Healthy Parents, Better Babies

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We had been trying for 4 years to have a baby on our own and via hi-technology (too many medical procedures, IVF's etc to mention). I had been aware of this book for some time and decided that we needed to make a concerted effort to help OURSELVES before we started our next (and final) IVF treatment. No-one could give us any definite answers as to why we weren't pregnant, but I figured that following the advice from this book, the pre-conception care could only improve our general health and well being. Not a bad thing considering how run down we were.

Yes, at times the advice in this book sounds like tough love, but realistically it was a lot easier than being a medical experiment yet again. It isn't designed purely for couples with trouble conceiving but for those who want better babies and a better pregnancy.....

So, the success of our story is that we followed the programme in conjunction with our Naturopath and despite all the doom and gloom stories we had been told before, we have now managed to conceive our own little miracle baby, which will be due later this year. This is the ONLY thing we have done differently in 4 years and I truly believe it is the only reason we are pregnant today.

I have listed my address as both the USA (where we spent a large percentage of our time during our efforts to conceive) and Australia (where we now reside) to dispel any myths that this is a book with Aussie content that may not be suitable for those based in the USA. Whilst it may be true that Alternative Therapy practitioners may be less available (per Capita) in the US than Down Under, I would advise you to buy this book to give you some practical advice and guidance before you head off to the health food store. Self-medicating (even with herbs) can be quite dangerous so it is important to have an authoritative reference guide. There are other books available with a similar approach but none that are this thorough.....

I will also be buying Francesca's follow-up books as my pregnancy progresses......

I had been actively searching for a book on the topic of 'health care before attempting conception', so was very pleased to find this book written by two female authors. I have now read it through a few times and have learned so much about how what I eat, do, or don't do can effect the health of my prospective baby for the rest of its life. I believe this book is the best that exists on the topic, and believe me I have done a lot of searching. It covers so many areas in depth eg. food, vitamins, herbs, exercise, evironmental hazards etc, so goes past the common sense 'eat healthy and take folate' approach that many books and doctors offer. For example, did you know that Zinc is the most important mineral for pregancy, but that the majority of the population have a deficiency in it? The book also tells how important vitamin supplements are even when you think you are eating healthfully, and why eating processed 'white'grain foods is harmful.

The book is equally useful for healthy people like myself who want to plan ahead to give their baby the best possible start, as for those who have infertility problems. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone considering starting a family, or with any pregnancy/infertility problems. Even if you don't want to do everything the book suggests, you can still make changes in your lifestyle that will cost no money, and you will learn so much! Through this book I also found out about an organisation in the UK called Foresight (surreyweb.org.uk/foresight) which has been promoting similar information for years and conducting scientific studies using these principles with fantastic results ie. healthy babies and problem-free pregnancies. I can't say enough how great this book is - BUY THIS BOOK!

We may not be perfect candidates for this book, but all I can say is, we adopted many of the guidelines (especially diet and timing ovulation) and got pregnant on our first try! We had no known fertility problems and we're in our 30's - but we were interested in creating an optimal environment for conception to take place. I especially liked that my husband had an equal role in this program. One of his "jobs" was to produce the healthiest sperm possible, which is described in detail. Now here I am, expecting our first child in a week! I would encourage anyone to give this book a try, especially if fertiltity is an issue.

As someone interested in herbal medicine to supplement standardized medical guidelines for preconception wellness, I gave this book a try. The prologue's "Two Stories-With and Without Preconception Health Care," sets the fear-planting, extremist tone that runs through much of the advice. The authors compare the outcome for two hypothetical couples, and the "bad" parents (meaning the ones who don't follow their regimen) encounter numerous disturbing consequences for their child, like "he is clumsy and accident-prone."

Some of the authors' suggestions seem complicated (and unnecessary?) to pursue, like sending away a hair sample for a trace analysis that must be performed by a lab. One section I did appreciate discussed flexibility and yoga poses. The illustrations and instructions were clearly written and don't seem too challenging.

Overall, the authors' preachy tone was a huge turnoff for me. My friend who browsed through my copy after recently delivering a healthy girl was appalled by this book - she felt like the writers connect blame on a mother for not having their "ideal" vision of a baby and the delivery.

Others may say "just do it" but after reading this book I've learnt that with a little planning I can ensure that I have fewer problems during my pregnancy and ensure the best health for my baby and hopefully for the rest of the childs life.

if you're preping to have a baby and dont know what to do to keep your body healthy-then this is the book for you. this book is all about a women's body and whatyou'll need before the baby gets here and what you can do to detox yourself and live a healthy lifestyle.
highly recommended. it's a easy read too.

After two miscarriages my husband and I were looking for answers . I was recommended the book and read it. The pre-conception programme really made sense. We went to see Francesca Naish and got on the programme - we followed it for 6 months, and we both felt the healthiest we had ever been. I took a range of vitamins, minerals, and my husband did most of the time! After 6 months we started trying and I fell pregnant the first time. We now have a very health and happy baby boy. I can only credit the programme with this result and am grateful that this book was around when we started searching for answers. I know that it has helped thousands of couples in Australia, and I hope it will help many more in the US. It is a natural way to solving many problems, and it is not expensive.

Good advice for couples who want to conceive a healthy baby who may or may not be having fertility issues. The book covers nutrition, exercise, cycle education, supplements and detox. Highly recommended from a massage therapist working with clients who have fertility challenges!

I have only begun this book and I am amazed at the wealth of information in regards to Nutrition. I have been studying nutrition for several years now and although I know what certain vitamins and minerals are for and their function in the body, we never really learned the specifics in regards to preconception, prenatal and postnatal nutrition. I look forward to continuing to read this book and expand my knowledge. This book even has me considering specializing in preconception nutrition in my practice!

This book was horrible. I think other people have said it but after I read it I was scared to conceive. The way the information was presented it pretty much read, "If you don't follow this book you will have a horrible pregnancy and a screwed up child" NO JOKE! Some information seemed helpful, but it seriously was full of scary senerios that made me scared to get pregnant! If you're looking for a good preconcetion book, this isnt it! (Try Before Your Pregnany, a 90-Day guide for couples on how to prepare for a healthy conception... <-- this is an amazing book!)